Adamuz train crash investigation stalls as search for independent lab and black box access continues

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One month after the Córdoba tragedy that killed 46, Spanish investigators (CIAF) face delays over judicial permits and potential conflicts of interest in railway testing

Melchor Sáiz-Pardo

Friday, 13 February 2026, 15:39

The investigation into the train crash near Adamuz (Cordoba) has slowed down, with important tasks still pending. Since the investigating commission (CIAF) located a possible fracture in the rails shortly after the accident, it has hardly progressed.

The CIAF says it has not yet had access to the black boxes of the two trains involved - the Iryo train that derailed and the Alvia coming from the opposite direction. For this to happen, the CIAF needs "judicial authorisation".

The commission has also not started to study the hundreds of metres of rails removed from the site to determine the reason for the track fracture. Choosing a laboratory to perform this analysis has proved to be a difficult task.

The right facility must have the technical competence to carry out the tests. Another important factor is "the absence of conflicts of interest", as many of these companies have commercial relations with state rail bodies Adif or Renfe, which are involved in the accident.

In the meantime, "the samples remain in the custody" of the commission and "will only be delivered for analysis once the court has given its approval".

Without access to the black boxes and without laboratory advances, the CIAF is focusing on analysing "the information that is currently collected, mainly from Adif, Renfe Viajeros and Iryo".

Infrastructure company Adif has provided the CIAF with "documentation concerning the work carried out in Adamuz, as well as other actions included in the renovation project".

The commission has also asked Adif to provide information "regarding the data of the interlockings and track circuits" that remotely manage signals and prevent incompatible manoeuvres that could cause collisions or derailments.

Information from the two operators involved in the accident mainly concerns data on the rolling stock, "as well as communications immediately after the event".

European Railway Agency

CIAF has also reported that on 28 January it asked the European Union Railway Agency (ERA) to join the investigation for transparency purposes.

According to the Spanish commission, this collaboration "is also in the interest of the ERA experts, as it is a learning and safety improvement opportunity for the entire European railway sector".

"The first contacts between the investigative team and the panel of observers have already taken place, with a possible meeting next week. In any case, the technical investigation will be carried out exclusively by CIAF and the role of the observers will be limited to monitoring the process," the CIAF has stated.